Germany's four-time world champion Michael Schumacher this afternoon won the British Formula One Grand Prix for only his second win in 11 races.
The 33-year-old, who can seal a record-equalling fifth world title at the French Grand Prix later this month, beat home his Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello while Colombian Juan-Pablo Montoya was third in a Williams.
The BAR-Honda team had a great day securing their first points of the season as Jacques Villeneneuve finished fourth and Oliver Panis fifth.
Schumacher, who was handing Ferrari their eighth win in 10 races this season, leads on 86 points from Barrichello on 32 and Montoya is third with 31.
Schumacher, recording his 107th podium finish from 117 starts, can clinch the title at Magny-Cours if he scores six more points than Montoya or his younger brother Ralf.
Barrichello was overtaken by Montoya with 19 laps remaining as they fought out a thrilling duel for second and third.
Stung into action the Brazilian fought back as he tried to regain second place down the finishing straight but his South American rival fought him off.
Barrichello, though, would not be denied and in a thrilling passage of action he finally regained his second place going down the inside of Montoya on the finishing straight with 14 laps remaining.
From then on Barrichello eased away to hold Montoya off.
Japanese driver Takuma Sato's race ended with less than 10 laps remaining as the engine of his Jordan blew when running in 10th place.
Michael Schumacher was well in control at the halfway stage.
He overtook Montoya on the 16th lap, and the South American, who had started from pole, was soon overhauled then by Barrichello.
Barrichello had been the star performer of the first-half of the race having had to start from the back of the grid when his car stalled prior to the warm-up lap.
Schumacher's younger brother Ralf had a nightmare two pit stops with the fuel nozzle not working properly he conceded almost a minute to the leaders and finished eighth.
Rain had caused most of the drivers to come into the pits to change their tyres with only David Coulthard refusing to go in.
However the McLaren driver paid the price as he was quickly demoted from third to eighth and a spin just before the halfway mark had the two-time winner here down in 16th place and ended a poor 10th.
Cash-strapped Arrows' nightmare weekend reached a suitably bleak finish as both drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi were out by halfway with Frentzen challenging for the points at the time his engine blew.
"It is really disappointing because it would have been fantastic to get some points and lift morale in the team," Frentzen said.
Eddie Irvine's threat to retire from the sport if results didn't improve with Jaguar moved a step closer as he spun out with over 25 laps to go.
The Ulsterman said: "I tried to keep going but the car was all over the place."
Toyota also had lost both drivers by halfway as Alan McNish's debut in British Grand Prix ended as soon as it started when he stalled on the grid.
"Unfortunately very much like the first race in Australia when the lights went on the electrics failed," McNish said.
"I am extremely disappointed and angry as we should have had this problem under control," the 32-year-old rookie added.
Finnish driver Mika Salo became the third casualty of the race as he spun off and joined Toyota team-mate McNish on the sidelines in the 16th lap.
Australian driver Mark Webber was also in trouble after spinning on the slippery surface to crash out completing Minardi's poor weekend as Malaysian Alex Yoong failed to even qualify for the race on Saturday. - AFP